Mangaluru: Children's Rights Commission expresses concern over conditions at Wenlock Hospital
Mangaluru: The Chairman of the State Children's Rights Protection Commission, Shashidhar Kosambe, visited the District Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre at Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru on Friday, where he expressed his dissatisfaction over the poor conditions and mismanagement at the facility.
Kosambe personally sampled the food provided to the children at the centre and interacted with the parents of the children who were admitted. He raised concerns after finding that the newly increased rate of ₹370 per day for the caregivers was not reflected in the centre's records, which still showed the older rate of ₹100.
He was also critical of the poor management of child admissions at the centre, noting that no proper register was maintained. He reprimanded the centre’s supervisors for the lapse and issued a show-cause notice to the medical authorities, directing them to submit the required information to the Commission.
Kosambe also visited the emergency unit where severely malnourished infants are treated and then proceeded to inspect the Ladygoshen Hospital. During his visit, he noted several issues, including the malfunctioning of the air-conditioning systems in the critical care unit. According to Kosambe, a 24/7 air-conditioning system is mandatory in such units, but the system was found to be inoperative.
He also expressed concern over the inadequate CCTV surveillance at the hospital. In the wake of recent incidents of child abductions across the country, Kosambe stressed the need for a proper surveillance system to ensure the safety of the children.
Kosambe highlighted that although the district health officials had identified 28 severely malnourished children in the district, no rehabilitation efforts were being provided for them at the centre. Despite government funds being allocated for infrastructure, beds, and staff, no records were maintained, and no steps had been taken to provide adequate care.
He further criticized the dietician staff for handling financial records, nutritional food information, and government guidelines instead of ensuring proper care. Kosambe noted that the food for the children was being stored in a refrigerator, but it appeared to be improperly maintained.
"We believe that every child must be given the best nutritional care. However, due to the negligence of the authorities here, I have directed the hospital authorities and district health officials to take immediate action and provide a report to the Commission within three days. If no action is taken, the Commission will file a suo-motu case," he said.
Kosambe emphasized that a detailed report about the actions taken to address the issues raised during his visit must be submitted within three days. He warned that failure to submit the report would lead to the Commission taking legal action and referring the matter to the government for appropriate recommendations.
Present during the visit were District Health Officer Dr. Timmayya, Wenlock Hospital Superintendent Dr. Shivaprasad, and RCHO Dr. Rajesh.
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Compromised PM didn't sign trade deal with US, but a bargain for Adani's release: Rahul
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of signing a trade deal with the US only to secure the "release" of billionaire businessman Gautam Adani.
"Compromised PM did not strike a trade deal, but a bargain for Adani's release," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X, after reports that the US has agreed to settle the lawsuit that accused Adani of hiding alleged bribery.
The US government has agreed to settle the lawsuit filed against Adani, who is accused of duping investors by concealing that his company's huge solar energy project in India was being facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme, according to court filings published Thursday.
Reacting to the reports, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said it was now clear why the PM agreed to the "hopelessly one-sided Indo-US trade deal that was really a steal by the US".
"And it is also clear why he abruptly halted Operation Sindoor on May 10, 2025, acting on President Trump's threats rather than on our national interest. Reportedly, the Trump Administration is about to drop all charges of corruption against Modani," he said on X.
"How much more compromised can the PM get?" Ramesh asked.
In the lawsuit filed in late 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani, who is a director at the group's renewable energy unit Adani Green Energy Ltd, of agreeing to pay about USD 265 million in bribes to Indian government officials between approximately 2020 and 2024 to obtain lucrative solar energy supply contracts on terms that expected to yield USD 2 billion of profit over 20 years.
It was alleged in the lawsuit that Adani Group raised USD 2 billion in loans and bonds, including from US firms, on the backs of false and misleading statements related to the firm's anti-bribery practices and policies.
The ports-to-energy conglomerate had denied the allegations.
